Valtteri Filppula understands exactly how important Ted Lindsay was to the earning power of the modern-day NHL player.
But during his seven seasons in Detroit, Filppula also came to know the Red Wings Hall of Famer, who passed away Monday at 93, a bit more personally.
“He did a lot of good things for hockey and he did a lot of good things for the community in Detroit,” said Filppula, who signed a one-year, $2.75-million deal with the Islanders and whose total contracts in his NHL career are close to $45 million.